Prince Albert, Princess Charlene and the twins have gathered around the tree for the annual Christmas portrait, “ending the year on a very, very high note”, according to the Prince.
The annual Christmas card photo, starring Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, shows a smiling Princely Family elegantly dressed and posing in a front of a very large Christmas tree. It was shot by Palace photographer Eric Mathon.
The portrait marks the return of a glamourous family tradition that was halted last year while Princess Charlene was in recovery for health complications associated with a severe ENT infection that she sustained in South Africa. The Christmas card portrait in 2021 featured an artist’s painting of the Princely family (see gallery below).
In an interview this week with People, Prince Albert said: “I’m really proud of my wife, Charlene’s doing really well. As you can see for yourself, she’s been active in any number of different events. Charlene’s engaging more in public life and looking after things that she’s passionate about.”
He added, “She’s really enjoying doing things together with the kids, so this year is ending on a very, very high note. We’re truly thrilled about how things are.”
The text accompanying the Christmas card reads: “My family joins me in wishing you peace and joy for Christmas and a Happy New Year 2023” in English, French and Monegasque.
See Princely Family Christmas cards from past years below…
2021
2020
2019
2017
2015
Michel Boeri named Grand Officer in the Order of Grimaldi
One of Monaco’s most recognised names in motorsport, Michel Boeri, has been honoured as a Grand Officer in the Order of Grimaldi by Prince Albert, in recognition of his dedication and service to the Principality.
The Order of Grimaldi was established in 1954 to “distinguish and reward people who have contributed to the prestige of the Principality” and includes five classes: Grand Cross, Grand Officer, Commander, Officer, Knight.
On Thursday 15th December, Michel Boeri was presented the honour of Grand Officer by Prince Albert at the Palace, as a token of thanks and acknowledgment of “an exceptional career in the service of the general interest and international outreach of the Principality”, according to a press release.
Between the years of 1972 to 2003, Michel Boeri was a member of the National Council where, amongst other roles, he was Chair of the Foreign Relations Commission. This role was then followed by a move to the Crown Council in 2006, where he was then made President in 2018 – a position that he still holds today.
While Michel Boeri has dedicated over 50 years of his life to service and contributions to the Principality, he is perhaps just as well-known for his high-ranking roles in the world of motorsport. These include President of the Automobile Club of Monaco, President of the Senate for the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and Vice-President of the World Motor Sport Council.
The long-held positions resulted in a number of “very high responsibilities in the world of motorsport” such as the Monaco Grand Prix or the Monte-Carlo Rally. Through these and his service to Monegasque institutions, Michel Boeri has contributed to “shape a model of excellence in the image of the Principality”.
With thousands of sparkling lights, an enchanted forest and a miniature world of chocolate delights, Monaco’s most prestigious hotel invites guests into its Christmas Garden at the heart of Monte-Carlo.
Wander into the courtyard of the famed Hôtel de Paris to discover a forest of green fir trees filled with cheeky elves of all personalities – the dreamer, the mischievous and the prankster.
Indulge in a delicious hot chocolate created by the Alain Ducasse chocolate factory or a glass of champagne before buying some beautiful handmade Christmas decorations or gifts in the glasshouse.
Then dive into the world of sweet delights at the next glasshouse boutique, where Monegasque chefs have prepared beautiful gingerbread houses, cinnamon stars, chocolate trees and festive sweets, unique creations to be enjoyed on the spot or to take away.
The collection has been created by Chef Philippe Joannes, Meilleur Ouvrier de France, with his teams at Monte-Carlo Catering; incredible desserts and chocolates made by chefs Ken Thomas and Cédric Campanella, and pastries made by chef Thomas Subrin, Meilleur Ouvrier de France.
Order on site or by phone at least three days in advance. To see the catalogue, click here.
Click on the gallery below, all photos by Monaco Life…
In the global race to find sustainable eating solutions, the food tech industry is exploding with innovative, natural alternatives. Among them is Mush Foods, an Israeli-based start-up that plans to revolutionise how we think of, and consume, food by cutting 50% of our meat intake.
The world’s population is growing at an alarming rate. On 15th November 2022, we hit the milestone figure of eight billion people. To put that into perspective, the number of humans on the planet grows by the equivalent of the population of Paris every 10 days.
“If we keep consuming like the average American or European consumer, we will need four planet earths,” Edwin van Raalte, Global Head of Food Tech at White Castle Partners, told Monaco Life. “That’s not going to work. So, we really need to find ways of creating better food production in a more environmentally friendly way. But it always starts with the customer – it must give a balance to nutrition and taste, while at the same time reducing impacts on the environment.”
White Castle Partners, a start-up acceleration firm headquartered in Monaco, recently hosted a food tasting at Komo restaurant in the Condamine district, not far from Port Hercule. Shalom Daniel, Founder and CEO of Mush Foods, was there with his two chefs to showcase how we can cut 50% of meat consumption without compromising on flavour, texture or nutrition.
A small group of investors had been invited to enjoy a six-course ‘50 Cut Hybrid Menu’: White Fish ‘cigars’, Ragu ravioli, chicken nuggets, chicken meatballs, beef burger, and lamb kebab.
“Why do people want regular meat? Because it is tastier and it is nutritious,” Shalom Daniel told me before the tasting. “We say, keep the meat that you like to eat, just cut it by half.”
In place of the other half of the meat is a natural product called mycelium.
Mycelium is actually more familiar to the building industry than to the food industry. It can be used to make building materials fire-resistant, stronger, and lighter. It can be used in the fashion industry to mimic the look, texture, and utility of leather. In some cases, it can even be used as a bonding agent for building materials such as bricks.
But in the case of Mush Foods, it is used in cooking to be blended with minced meat.
Photo by Monaco Life
Mush Foods is a one-and-a-half-year-old start-up out of Israel. Shalom Daniel, a Harvard Business School graduate, was formerly the global brand director of food giant Unilever. He wanted to have more of an impact on the world, so he started his own company and discovered mycelium, the “roots” of mushrooms.
“The mushrooms that we know are only 5-6% of the total organism,” explained Shalom Daniel. “The reason why you don’t call it the root of a mushroom is because mushrooms are not plants. But they are not animals either, they are a third kingdom, right in the middle. This organism is closer to us than it is to plants.”
More than 95% of the mushroom organism grows beneath the surface. Once mycelium reaches above ground, the pressure of oxygen and light turns it into the mushroom that we know and love today. But mycelium has all the same nutrients, the same taste, the same protein and amino acids. The problem has always been the harvesting.
“But with our technology we can grow mycelium above ground,” says Daniel. “We are utilising 70-75% of this total organism. We are also collecting waste from the food industry – coffee, soy, beer – and we are growing mycelium in it in vertical farms. So, it is very efficient on a number of levels, because we also don’t need light or oxygen.”
In its raw form, mycelium looks very much like mushroom. The genius in Mush Foods is that it combines different species together in order to get the specific aroma, texture and taste of different meats.
Mycelium. Credit: Dmytro Ostapenko (Shutterstock)
So, how does it stack up? Of the entire 50% Cut menu that we tried, there was a unanimous opinion that everything was incredibly close to resembling 100% meat. Even the beef burger, a culinary legend, was a hit.
And that’s the key. Mush Foods is not intended for vegans. It satisfies carnivores while being kinder to the planet.
“We could sell it to companies like Beyond Meat to replace the soy and processed products that are not very tasty. But we decided to focus on the meat industry,” explained Daniel. “We want to reduce high amounts of meat within meat products, instead of trying to make people become vegan or vegetarian.”
Mush Foods 50 Cut tasting menu at Komo
Even cutting 50% of meat production would have an enormous impact.
The raising and culling of animals for food, particularly beef, is a major contributor to climate change, responsible for huge greenhouse gas emissions – more than 14% of the total according to the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation – as well as land clearing for grazing and feeding. Meat production has expanded to the point where there are now three chickens for every human on the planet.
Scientists have consistently stressed that if dangerous global heating is to be avoided, a major rethink of eating habits and farming practices is required.
There are also the health benefits. Cutting out 50% of the meat also means slashing by half the amount of saturated fats and cholesterol, as well as calories, in a meal.
The food tech industry is booming as increasing awareness among the health-conscious population drives demand for healthier foods. The global food tech market size was USD 220 billion in 2019. By 2027, the figure is expected to reach USD 342 billion.
50 Cut food tasting with investors, organised by White Castle Partners, photo credit: Dasha Krizanovska
“Food tech is basically the Tesla of the future in the food world, so from an investment perspective, it is a great opportunity,” said Edwin van Raalte. “What we are trying to do at White Castle is to say, capital is of course something everyone thinks about in Monaco, but it is everything around that capital – capability, capacity, finding the leading companies in the food tech space that are really making an impact. There a lot of plant-based companies in the world, but who are the leading ones that are really making a difference, with true purpose, but at the same time also have an economic outlook for an investor? And finding those companies who understand that in America, food might be fuel, but in France, food is emotion, for the heart.”
In less than two years of creation, Mush Foods has established a facility in Israel and is about to build a new facility in the United States, where food regulation is less strict than in Europe. In about a year, once regulation hurdles are cleared, Shalom Daniel anticipates opening facilities here in Europe. His marketing strategy is to target restaurants and fast-food joints, selling the price benefits of mycelium over meat while satisfying a growing demand from health and planet-conscious consumers.
Partnership renewed between CFM Indosuez Wealth Management and Oceanographic Institute
CFM Indosuez Wealth Management has continued its commitment to protect the oceans in renewing its partnership with the Oceanographic Institute of Monaco, a key player in the Principality’s sustainability strategy.
As part of this partnership, the Oceanographic Institute will continue to provide CFM Indosuez with its expertise in terms of blue economy and blue finance, in connection with the major challenges facing the oceans. The bank’s clients will benefit from dedicated conferences and private visits to the Oceanographic Museum, and its employees will be able to take part in the projects carried out by the Oceanographic Institute as part of solidarity days.
CFM Indosuez was a forerunner in Monaco in 2002 with the first Monegasque fund dedicated to sustainable development. It has since strengthened its blue finance offer with two solidarity-based structured products in 2021 and 2022, called CFM Indosuez Oceano. These products, structured by Crédit Agricole CIB, include a solidarity component in the form of a donation made by clients, with a participation from CFM Indosuez and Crédit Agricole CIB.
As a result, €171,000 was raised in 2021 and €186,000 in 2022 and donated to the Oceanographic Institute in support of its Mission Polaire programme and its actions to preserve the oceans and marine ecosystems.
“The support provided by CFM Indosuez to the Oceanographic Institute is one of the pillars of our commitment to the protection of the Ocean, alongside the blue finance that we are actively developing,” said Mathieu Ferragut, CEO of CFM Indosuez, at a partnership renewal signing on Thursday 15th December. “Together with all our employees, who are involved in the Oceanographic Institute’s projects via Citizen Days, we are very happy to continue our partnership with this major player in environmental mediation, whose values and attachment to the Principality we share.”
“The Oceanographic Institute and CFM Indosuez share a common ambition, that of a more sustainable future for the planet and the Ocean,” added Robert Calcagno, Oceanographic Institute CEO. “We are delighted to continue this privileged partnership, for its valuable financial contribution and the operational commitment of its employees to our projects. The support of CFM Indosuez is essential for deploying ever stronger collective action and mobilisation.”
Photo: CFM Indosuez CEO Mathieu Ferragut and Oceanographic Institute CEO Robert Calcagno, Michel Dagnino
Exclusive interview: the “villain of Broadway” Patrick Page
Monaco Life, in partnership with the Princess Grace Foundation-USA, is proud to present a monthly series highlighting the lives and artistic work of the Princess Grace Foundation-USA’s illustrious Award winners. In this month’s exclusive interview, Princess Grace Foundation-USA’s Director of Programming Diana Kemppainen catches up with Princess Grace Award winner Patrick Page, one of the United States’ top stage actors
Patrick Page is among the country’s best Shakespeare actors. A critic at the Washington Post has called his Lago one of the top five outstanding American performances of Shakespeare in his lifetime. He is known as the “villain of Broadway” for his iconic takes on complicated characters (Scar, The Lion King; Brutus, Julius Caesar; The Grinch, etc.), including originating the Green Goblin in Spiderman: Turn off the Dark and Hades in Hadestown.
Patrick will leave his role as Hades at the end of December after nearly seven years in the role. He stars as Jacob alongside Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell in the new Christmas classic, Spirited, and can be seen as Richard Clay in HBO’s The Gilded Age. Patrick will return to Shakespeare as King Lear at the Shakespeare Theater Company in Washington, DC.
You’ve had an illustrious career, working 30+ years, working at Utah Shakespeare Festival and Oregon Shakespeare Festival before coming to Broadway. Let’s start at the beginning: what lead you to become an actor?
My dad was involved in the theatre; he taught theatr and was always acting and directing. When I was a toddler, we spent three seasons at Oregon Shakespeare Festival. To me, it always looked like more fun up there. That’s the explanation I give, and who knows what genetic, experiential, and environmental factors came into play. All I know is it’s always been who I am, and that desire to create and perform is always there. If I’m not doing it for a living, I’m doing it for fun. It comes from my core and my heart.
You have a one-man show called ‘All the Devils are Here’ enacting Shakespeare’s villains. What draws you to the Bard?
I’m curious about life – why we’re here, why we behave the way we do, and treat each other the way we do, what love is, what evil is. Shakespeare is the person who most deeply engages with those questions. I’m very lucky that Shakespeare was not only a central philosopher and poet in the Western tradition, but he happened to write plays. He would have been important as a philosopher, poet, novelist, etc. but it just so happens he wrote roles for actors. I thought it was a decent way to spend one’s life trying to get good at it so you can share those questions with other people.
Is there a favourite role that you want to go back to and rediscover?
I’m about to play King Lear in Washington, DC. That play has been a touchstone in my life in many ways. I played him at age 22 in undergraduate, and of course, one does the best they can when they’re young, but now I’m 60, so I’ll have another stab. King Lear was 80, so I’m getting closer. I have a marvellous director, Simon Godwin, who is one of the top Shakespeare directors in the world.
Hamlet is another role I’d like to return to. I’ve played him twice as well as other roles in the play. And the other role that keeps coming up is Macbeth. I’ve played him four times, but I’d like to do him one more while I can.
It’s a good question in the sense of roles to play or return because when you play the great roles, it’s like writing a draft of that moment in your life, and then you live more – you learn, you lose, you fail – and you want to try again. They are life projects for me, and there are a number of roles that I like to return to.
Some you do once, and for whatever reason, your window passes; it’s not that you’ve gotten it all, but for whatever reason, your window passes. For example, I played Coriolanus when I was 50, and I think that’s pushing the outer envelope for when one is physically able to do that role. But hopefully, I’ll direct it or play another role.
It’s also such a difficult role, physically, emotionally.
All of the Shakespeare tremendous mental and emotional challenges, but they are also tremendous physical challenges. They are athletic events – three hours at a stretch, given very few rests and asked to go through the full range of emotions and frequently there is sword fighting and physical challenges. And it is not a movie, so you don’t have a stunt man or a break between scenes. In today’s world, you do it eight times a week. You need to be in the best shape vocally, physically, and emotionally to take it on.
When you’re in a show, how to do you take care of yourself?
The show becomes your only priority. It’s one of the reasons I don’t have children; all my energy goes into the preparation and then the performing of a show. I frequently tell young actors that this is a calling, and while it also happens to be a job, don’t expect it to behave like a job. Callings are tough, but it’s also fun. The main mind trick is to take the emphasis off yourself and place it onto the audience who has come so far and paid so much and placed their hope into you for the evening. You get the opportunity to offer them something that they can’t get elsewhere.
You’re leaving Hadestown at the end of the month. It’s a role you’ve been with since the beginning – almost seven years! Talk a little about that journey.
It’s been one of the great experiences of my life to be part of its creation from the beginning. I’ve watched these great artists, Anais Mitchell [writer and lyricist] and Rachel Chavkin [director]. Anais wrote it a decade before, and it was essentially a song cycle and concept album that was turned into a musical. I did four productions of the play, and each was entirely different, but only in the same way that a child is different throughout their life. It has a soul that transcends. I did workshops in 2015 before 1st off-Broadway in spring 2016. It’s been a tremendous experience.
Then there’s all the fun – the Tonys, the Grammys, and being in a hit show. I’ve done 25 Broadway shows, and it’s very different to be in Hadestown than the other shows. I’ve been in shows that people loved, that they came to, all very good shows, but it’s very different to be in a hit where there is a voracious appetite to get to the show, and it’s part of the zeitgeist. It happened a bit with Spiderman, but this is a very special experience, and I’m so proud of it.
What are your feelings as you depart?
There is a certain element of relief in not having to sustain. Acting is simple in some ways, but it’s never easy to repeat a performance over and over. In performing on stage, what you really get paid for is the ability to make it seem like the first time every night, and there is a sense of exhale when one leaves a long run. It’s bittersweet; I’ll miss the audience, the actors, the band, and my little dressing room in Times Square. In our shutdown, I saw other shows go and come back. I realize that our show is not the norm. The ovation we receive is extraordinary. All of that I will miss, but it’s time to go.
You’ve always been a theatre actor. We’ve started to see you more on-screen – Spirited, The Gilded Age. What’s drawing you to the screen now?
A lot of it isn’t choice. It’s opportunities that have come to me. I’m really grateful, and it’s wonderful to be learning a new medium at this stage in my life. Acting in many ways is just acting: it’s either the truth, or it’s not. But there are a great number of technical differences: in a play, you rehearse, and you do it from beginning to end, living a character’s journey. In a TV series or film, you might take one scene, and that’s the shoot for the day. You’re repeating it over and over as they change camera angles, etc. So, you’re playing a minute of a role 20-30 times a day as opposed to the character’s journey eight times a week. It’s a very different skill set, and I’m enjoying learning.
What’s next?
King Lear in Washington, DC. I hope to film the third season of The Gilded Age, and I’m excited about the direction my character is going into the second season showing early next year.
If you could act opposite Princess Grace in any of your work or her work, what is it and why?
She had a quality that was almost spiritual and angelic. Yet she was very, very human. She would be a superb Hermione in The Winter’s Tale, and I want to pay Leontes, so I’ll choose that.
Do you have any final words for the Monaco community.
I’m so grateful for the people who support the Princess Grace Foundation. I want them to know what a difference it makes. When I was a young man, I was given this award, and it was the first time I had been to New York City. The Princess Grace Foundation flew me from Utah to New York; being in New York was the first time I could imagine having a life here, and that was the beginning of the trajectory that brought me here.
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